POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (July 17, 2017) -- The Vassar College 2016-17 athletic season continued the success of the past few seasons, seeing some of the best performances in VC history. Over the next few weeks, VassarAthletics.com will take a look at some of the top individual performances of the 2016-17 season. Today, we focus on some of the amazing performances that just missed out on the Top 10, but were still very impressive to say the least. The performances are not listed in any order, but by alphabetical order by sport. 

--

Baseball
Bobby Kinne vs. Manhattanville (May 2, 2017)
Junior infielder Bobby Kinne missed much of the beginning of the year due to off-season elbow surgery, forcing him into only designated hitting duties during much of March. Once Kinne was back full-time, the Brewer captain took over the second base position for the remainder of the year, and had a huge game against non-conference foe Manhattanville on May 2. The lefty was 4-for-5 with two triples as Vassar knocked off the Valiants 9-8. Kinne added two singles as well, scoring once for VC. Kinne finished the season with a .286 batting average, earning All-Liberty League Honorable Mention accolades for his season.

Men's Basketball
Alex Seff vs. New Paltz (November 15, 2017)
Sophomore Alex Seff busted out of the gates for the 2016-17 season with a bang, as the southpaw wasted no time adding his name to the list of great players in the Liberty League. In the opening contest of the year, Seff posted a career-high 34 points in a win over Hudson River rival New Paltz. Seff shot 13-of-20 and made 3-of-5 from downtown, while grabbing 12 boards and posted four assists in 34 minutes of action. Even more impressive was that the guard posted just one turnover as well, as the Brewers earned a 71-65 home win to start the year. Seff would go on to earn Liberty League Honorable Mention for his play as a sophomore.


Men's Cross Country
Michael Scarlett at Rowan University (September 17, 2016)
Junior Michael Scarlett has been part of a class that has brought the Brewers men's cross country program to the top of the region. Scarlett himself has been the leader through much of that, as the junior has paced the Brewers in every race he's run over the last two seasons. On September 17, he helped the Brewers finish third at a very competitive race at Rowan University. Scartlet finished fifth overall out of 174 runners at the Bill Fritz/Carlie Way Invitational, as he chalked up a time of 25.36.57. What was more impressive was that Scarlett was sick the week leading up to the race, and wasn't even planning on running.

Men's Fencing
Eli Polston at NFC Multi-Meet (February 11, 2017)
Junior Eli Polston continued to his reign as one of the best sabre fencers in all of the Northeast Fencing Conference in the third and final Northeast Fencing Conference day of action in 2016-17. Taking on fencers from the University of New Hampshire, Dartmouth, Boston University, Sacred Heart University and the University of Massachusetts, Polston proceeded to go unblemished on the day, winning all 12 of his bouts in upping his season mark at the time to 75-26. Polston would earn First Team All-Star honors in the conference for his superb fencing as a junior.
 
Men's Lacrosse
Matt Boyd vs. RPI (April 1, 2017)
The Vassar College men's lacrosse team had been looking for its statement win for years, as its experienced senior class had taken the program from the bottom of the Liberty League to a playoff contender. The statement win for Vassar came on April 1 at home, as the Brewers overcame a late two-goal deficit to knock off Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 11-9 before a huge crowd on Weinberg Field. The game would be a coming out party for sophomore Matt Boyd, who was great all game, making 16 saves to keep the Brewers in the game. With RPI leading 7-5 late in the third quarter, Boyd made back-to-back huge saves to keep it a two-goal game going into the fourth. In the fourth, he started the frame with two more big stops, as Vassar scored the next four goals to pull away for the win. 10 of his 16 saves came in the second half, including six in the final period. Boyd would earn National North Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

Men's Rowing
Boats at New York State Collegiate Rowing Championships (May 6, 2017)
The Vassar rowing programs on the men's side have taken a huge leap forward under head coach Shawn Turner, and the improvement was showcased on center stage at the New York State Rowing Championships. Vassar finished second overall in the men's Varsity 4+, chalking up a 7:05.77 to make the Grand Finals. Later, Vassar once again took second in the Men's Open 4+, this time logging a 7:25.70. Unfortunately, the finals were cancelled due to dangerous conditions but still it was a great building block for the program going forward.
 
Men's Rugby
Stephen Kpundeh vs. Marist (April 1, 2017)
Sophomore Stephen Kpundeh helped the Brewers knock off their Poughkeepsie neighbors in the spring 34-12, helping the Brewers to local bragging rights once again. Kpundeh chalked up two tries and two conversions for Vassar, who was short-handed in personnel. That didn't slow Vassar thanks to the depth that head coach Tony Brown as built, as Kpundeh and company rolled past the Red Foxes as the No. 14 had one of his best contests of the season.

Men's Squash
Vincent Mencotti vs. Haverford and Swarthmore (January 21, 2017)
Senior captain Vincent Mencotti played as the Vassar No. 1 position competitor for all four seasons he was at VC. Mencotti, who suffered from a knee injury that sidelined him as a freshman, bounced back strong after that and had one of his best days as a Brewer on January 21, 2017. The Michigan native started the day by defeating Tate Miller of No. 30 Haverford in five games, as he rallied from down 2-1 to earn the victory with an 11-5 fifth contest. He then followed that by knocking off Davy Qi in three sets with an emphatic 11-1, 11-1, 11-5 decision. On the year, Mencotti led the Brewers with 12 overall victories.

Men's Soccer
Tyler Gilmore vs. Manhattanville (September 6, 2016)
In this early season contest with Manhattanville, the Brewers had posted chance after chance but couldn't find the net as the Valiant defense stymied Vassar despite the Brewers ringing up a 22-6 shot advantage. Vassar trailed late in the contest 1-0, but that changed in the 84^th minute thanks to Gilmore. The sophomore defender, who has been dynamic in the air for Vassar, hammered home a header on a perfect cross from Hayden Van Brewer to tie the game at one. Just over six minutes later with 19 seconds to play in regulation, the duo would hook up again to seal the win for VC, as Gilmore flew out of nowhere to put the Brewers on top for good. Gilmore scored five goals as a sophomore, earning Liberty League Second Team honors.

Men's Swimming
Jonah Strand at UNYSCSA Championships (February 15-18, 2017)
Junior breast stroke specialist Jonah Strand had posted a solid season with the Brewers, but it all came together for Strand at the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming and Diving Association Championships in mid-February. Strand in the opening day of the meet posted a 1:55.63 to finish fourth in the 200 IM, breaking his own school mark. Two days later, Strand eclipsed another school mark, as he broke his own record in the 100 breast with a time of 57.63 to take second place in the event. He finished the weekend with yet another school mark, as he took down the seven-year previous record of 2:07.61 with a 2:05.96 to take control of all the breast stroke records at Vassar. Later that night, Strand re-broke the record he set in prelims in the 200 breast with a 2:05.50, finishing third overall. He also swam three relays on the week to help the Brewers earn more points.

Men's Tennis
Alexander Luckmann vs. University of Rochester (February 24, 2017)
The Vassar College men's tennis team hosted non-conference and regionally-ranked University of Rochester on a Saturday in February, looking to make a statement. After five matches, Rochester led the overall team score 4-1, but that's when the comeback started for the Brewers. After a win at No. 2 by Allan Sokolov to deadlock the score at 4-4, the final match at No. 6 would decide the winner. VC's Alexander Luckmann took the first set 6-4, but Yifan Shen rallied for a 7-5 win in the second. The final set would be a thriller, but Luckmann outlasted Shen 7-5, claiming the final point on an officials overrule to win the match for Vassar.
 
Men's Track & Field
Skylar Widman at Liberty League Championships (April 22, 2017)
The 100 meter dash is widely considered as one of the most exciting 10 seconds in all of sports, with the winner considered the fastest athlete in the meet. The 100-meter dash is the record that every runner wants, and freshman Skylar Widman wasted no time putting his name up on the board as the fastest Vassar athlete in program history. Widman accomplished this feat on a big stage, as he set the new 100-meter record of 11.17 at the Liberty League Championships in the preliminary round. Widman broke the previous record of 11.19 set by Taylor Vann. Widman would go on to finish second place in the Liberty League with a 11.23 in the finals. He wasn't done though, taking fourth place in the 200 meters with a time of 22.75 to help Vassar to a fourth-place finish as a team.
 
Men's Volleyball
Matthew Knigge vs. Marymount University (March 24, 2017)
When you're a two-time First Team All-American like junior Matthew Knigge, it's difficult to set personal bests and to do things you've never done before. That happened though for the star middle hitter for Vassar on March 24, as Knigge finished with a career-best 20 kills to help the fourth-ranked Brewers to a 3-2 road win at No. 11 Marymount. Knigge broke his previous mark of 16, and also added nine blocks as he hit .586 on 29 attempts in the match.

Women's Basketball
Ariella Rosenthal vs. Skidmore (February 4, 2017)
Junior team captain Ariella Rosenthal had another standout season for the Brewers, as she finished as a Liberty League First Team and All-Region performer. Her best game of the season though came against the best player in the Liberty League, as Rosenthal outdueled Skidmore All-American Kelly Donnelly in a 62-59 home win for VC. Rosenthal finished 11-of-17 from the floor, scoring 25 points to go with 11 boards in the win. What was more impressive was her lockdown defense, as she forced Donnelly into 4-for-19 shooting on the night.

Women's Cross Country
Lucy Balcezak at NCAA Atlantic Regionals (November 2, 2016)
Senior Lucy Balcezak had her best season on the cross country path for the Brewers in 2016, as she finished as the top finisher in every race for the Brewers as a senior. Balcezak started the year with a win at the VC Season Opener, and closed her career for the Brewers with a strong 22:23.0 in the NCAA Atlantic Regional which was a career-best time. Balcezak finished 48^th in a field over 300 runners, helping VC to a 13^th place finish as a team.

Women's Fencing
Annie Innes-Golf at EWFC Championships (February 19, 2017)
Junior Annie Innes-Gold missed the first half of the season as she studied abroad, and the sabre team missed the standout mightily. Innes-Gold, who has been among the Brewers top bout winners during all three of her seasons at VC, had a great day at the Eastern Women's Fencing Conference Championships February 19. Innes-Gold led all sabre fencers Sunday in total wins with 19, as she lost only one of her bouts. She also led all sabre fencers with 94 touches scored, and made it to the weapon bracket finals. For her efforts, she was named as a EWFC First Team All-Star.

Field Hockey
Alyssa More vs. Western Connecticut State (September 14, 2016)
The Vassar College field hockey team had its best season in school history, much in part to the play from sophomore Alyssa More. The do-it-all player had her best game against Western Connecticut State, and really did it out of nowhere offensively. More had scored just two career goals coming into the game with the Colonels, but chalked up three in the first 29 minutes to help Vassar to a 6-0 win on the road. More scored her first goal at 8:48 of the game, followed by another score at 23:54. Her scoring outburst finished five minutes later with another tally, helping her gain the hat trick, which was Vassar first since the 2013 season, and the first time in over 17 years that a VC player had accomplished the feat in just one half.

Women's Lacrosse
Tessa Waters vs. Connecticut College (March 22, 2017)
Freshman Tessa Waters played her first game ever on campus at Vassar College on March 22 against NESCAC foe Connecticut College, and she put on a show that would be a preview of things to come. The Skokie, Illinois native chalked up four goals, all in the second half, to push the Brewers past the Camels 13-12. The final tally of the game came with 21 seconds left and the score tied at 12, as Waters lifted the Brewers to the win. It would be the first of many highlights for Waters, who ended up earning Liberty League Rookie of the Year on the season.

Women's Rowing
Varsity 8's at Union (April 9, 2017)
The Varsity 8+ and 2^nd Varsity 8+ went on the road to take on Union College up in Schenectady, NY and had a banner day, as the Brewers were able to earn victories in both races. Vassar finished with a time of 8:42 to Union's 8:50, as Elle McKenzie and her group pulled the win. McKenzie would also cox the 2^nd boat, posting a five-second win over Union with a time of 9:56.

Women's Soccer
Amanda McFarland vs. RPI (October 8, 2016)
Winning in the Liberty League on the road is a very difficult proposition, and then take into the account of playing at night, on turf, after a football game, it becomes even harder. Though other players may have scored multiple goals in a game, the biggest moment for the Vassar women's soccer team may have come on a rainy evening in Troy against the No. 22 Engineers, as VC battled back to earn a 2-1 overtime win. Vassar fell behind 1-0 in the first half, but tied the game on a penalty in the second half. In overtime, it took the Brewers just 32 seconds to win it, as McFarland took a pass from sophomore Audrey Pillsbury, fended off the center back, turned and fired the shot off the left post and in for the game winner.

Women's Squash
Hannah Nice at Seven Sisters Championships (December 5, 2015)
The junior captain for the Brewers had another strong season for Vassar, as she won all but one of her matches in 2016-17, including a great showing at the 2017 Seven Sisters Championships. The star from Hanover, NH was named to the All-Seven Sisters Team after going undefeated topping Meera Nayar from Wellesley 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-2 and 11-1 in a strong five-set win. She then knocked off Josephine Surer of Smith College 11-0, 11-0, 11-1, before topping Brandy Williamson of Mount Holyoke 11-6, 11-7, 11-9. Nice would finish the year 15-1 on the campaign.

Women's Swimming
Kayla Schwab at UNYSCSA Championships (February 18, 2017)
Senior captain Kayla Schwab had worked tirelessly over her four seasons with the Brewers, putting in countless hours to become a contributor for the squad. Schwab, who showed team support and energy throughout her career, was never the star making headlines but was a big part of the program during her time at VC. Her hard work paid off at the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming and Diving Association (UNYSCSA) Championships, as she bested her previous 200 breast stroke time by over four seconds with a time of 2:41.60.

Women's Tennis
Shayna Becker & Tara Edwards vs. Skidmore (April 22, 2017)
Senior captain Shayna Becker had played with freshman Tara Edwards for the majority of the season, teaming to play at the No. 1 position. The pairing had a strong season together, but faced one of its hardest matchups of the season when VC traveled to Saratoga Springs to take on No. 20 Skidmore College. The Brewers top pair took on Michelle Fuca and Madie Benn, who were ranked No. 6 in the region, but Becker and Edwards repelled the Thoroughbred tandem with an 8-6 win. The pair of Becker and Edwards would end up winning 13 matches together in 2016-17.

Women's Track
Alex Gittens at Oneonta Last Chance (May 18, 2017)
Senior Alex Gittens posted her best season yet as a Vassar women's track athlete, and she continued what was already a great year at the Oneonta Regional Last Chance meet to end her career. The senior from Lutz, FL finished second overall in the 800 meter run, as she chalked up a time of 2:16.77, an all-time best for the senior. Her splits during the 4x400 the day before were also the fastest of her career.

Women's Volleyball
Jane McLeod vs. RIT (November 4, 2016)
Freshman Jane McLeod had one of the best seasons ever for the Brewers on the outside, as the powerful right-handed swinger was named as the Liberty League and Regional Rookie of the Year. It was a great year to say the least, but her biggest performance of the year came at a huge moment, as McLeod chalked up 22 kills in the Liberty League Tournament semifinals to push VC to a five-set win and into the title match. McLeod posted her 22 kills on 46 swings, hitting .348 to go with nine digs.
 
--

Over the next few weeks, VassarAthletics.com will be revealing the Top 10 Performances from last year in chronological order, not ranked in any order this year. Tuesday afternoon, we will release the first performance on the list. Make sure to follow along at www.vassarathletics.com, while getting involved on social media with Vassar Athletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

2016-17 Vassar Top Individual Performances
July 17 – Honorable Mentions
July 18 – Top Individual Performance #1
July 19 – Top Individual Performance #2
July 20 – Top Individual Performance #3
July 21 – Top Individual Performance #4
July 21 – Top Individual Performance #5
July 24 – Top Individual Performance #6
July 25 – Top Individual Performance #7
July 26 – Top Individual Performance #8
July 27 – Top Individual Performance #9
July 28 – Top Individual Performance #10